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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

This rite was written and recorded for the ADF Clergy Council as part of my application for ordination. It is a simple rite of devotion based off the ADF Core Order of Ritual (COoR). To be a true ADF rite and to be used as a public ADF rite all rituals must follow the COoR. I now present to you my devotional COoR Rite:

All text in Green are songs. All test in Blue are stage directions.

Ritual Briefing-
several people will be attending this rite so well do a small ritual briefing.

Initiating the Rite:

Outsider
Offering- (Ring
bell 3 times)

Mighty Outdwellers, though your ways are mighty, they are not our ways!
We give to you this offering and ask that you leave our working in peace.
Mighty Outdwellers, turn from our rite!

Opening Prayer- (have those in
attendance hold hands as to be one)

Through the Ancestors we gain courage. Through the Nature Spirits we
gain peace. Through the Gods we gain wisdom. Through the Kindred we are whole.
May the Kindred be ever in our hearts and homes. And forgive us any errors that
we may do while honoring you in this rite.

Purification:

(present the blessed waters to each person present)

May we be washed
clean by the waters of the land so that we are pure before the divine.

(Pass incense over each person present)

May we be
scented by the fires cleansing smoke so that we are pure before the divine.

Honoring the Earth Mother- (Place offering to
the Earth Mother around the Tree)

Glorious Earth Mother, you who are the mother of all, you who sustain
us with your breath, you who feed us with your life, you whose body is the
ground upon which we stand, we come before you this day. Accept our offering oh
Mother! Be with us now and always!

Song-

The river is
flowing and it is growing.

The
river is flowing down to the sea.

Mother
earth carry me, your child I'll always be.

Mother
earth carry me down to the sea.

Her
sacred ground we walk upon , with every step we take.

Her
sacred ground we walk upon , with every step we take.

The
river is flowing and it is growing.

The
river is flowing down to the sea.

Mother
earth carry me, your child I'll always be.

Mother
earth carry me down to the sea.

The
earth is our mother, we must take care of her.

The
earth is our mother, we must take care of her.

The
river is flowing and it is growing.

The
river is flowing down to the sea.

Mother
earth carry me, your child I'll always be.

Mother
earth carry me down to the sea.

Statement of Purpose

We come before the Kindred this day to honor as did our ancestors
before us. We come to keep our Druid way.

(Re)Creating the Cosmos:

Sacred Center-Fire, Well and Tree

By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and SkyWe stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned
high. (repeat once)

(Place silver into
the Well)

Come we now to the Well, the eye and the mouth of
Earth,
Come we now to the Well, and silver we bring,
Come we now to the Well, the waters of rebirth,
Come we now to the Well, together we sing:

CHORUS

(Place grain
around the Tree)

Gather we at the Tree, the root & the crown of all,Gather we at the Tree, Below & above,Gather we at the Tree, Together we make our call,Gather we at the Tree, In wisdom & love.CHORUS

(Pour drink onto
the Fire)

We will kindle a Fire, Bless all, and with harm to none,We will kindle a Fire, and offering pour,We will kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon
& Sun,We will kindle a fire, our spirits will soar.

CHORUS

Opening the Gates

Gate Keeper- (make offering at each gate as invocation is spoken)

Bright Lady of Torches, She who holds the keys to every door and every
world, She whose power is of land sea and sky, we call to you!

Lady Hekate, keeper of the keys, aid us in opening the way!Aid us in holding open the Gates! Accept this
offering and open the way!

Let this well be no longer a simple well but all the Wells of all the
Worlds and all the seas. Let it be the foundation of all the Worlds! Spirit of
the Well; flow above, below, and within us! Let the Gate be open.

Let this tree be no more a simple tree but all the Trees of all the
Worlds and all the lands. Let it be the Axis Mundi, the Center path between all
the Worlds. Spirit of the Tree; grow above, below, and within us! Let the Gate
be open.

Let this fire be no longer a simple fire but all the Fires in all the
Worlds andthroughout all the skies. Let
it be the Crown of all the Worlds. Spirit of the Fire; burn above, around,
andwithin us! Let the Gate be open.

Let the Gates be
open!

Let the Gates be
open!

Let the Gates be
open!...

The Gates are
open!

Inviting the Three Kindred

Beloved
Ancestors, kin to us all;

You of hearth,
blood, and bone;

You who have
gone before creating the path we walk;

We call to you!

Beloved Ancestors accept this offering and
be at our rite! (Make offering to the Well)

Mighty Nature
Spirits, mortal and spirit alike;

You of fur and
feather and scale and skin;

You of land,
sea, and sky;

We call to you!

Mighty Nature
Spirits accept this offering and be at our rite! (Make offering to the Tree)

Glorious
Shinning Ones, Gods from times of old;

You who are the
immortal and deathless ones;

You of the three
worlds and the three realms;

We call to you!

Glorious
Shinning Ones accept this offering and be at our rite! (Make offering to the Fire)

Song-

Gods
and Dead and Mighty Sidhe, Powers of earth and sky and sea, By fire and well
and sacred tree, Offerings we make to ye!

Main Ritual:

Key Offerings -

Invitation of Beings of the Occasion-

Gentle eldest and youngest daughter of
Chronos and Rhea, we call to you. (ring bell)

Virgin
maiden of fire, tender of the Sacred Fire on Olympus, we call to you. (ring bell)

Sister
to the Great Father Zeus, teacher of human society, whose altar lives in every

hearth on earth, we call to you. (ring bell)

As
in days of old we call onto you and ask that you be always in our hearts and
homes.

Great and Glorious Hestia, you who have no throne upon Olympus, you whose
true

throne lives in the hearts and homes of all human kind, hear our call!(light
Hestia lamp)

Accept
this offering and be with us now!(Pour offering to Hestia)

Praise Offerings-

Let us now give offerings to those Kindred
who give aid us in our daily lives:(praise offerings)

Prayer of Sacrifice-

We come to you as in days of old to share
this sacred meal and give libations as our ancestors once did. We do this
to honor, to show our love, and to bring balance to the

cosmos!

Unto the Gods we give their due, the fat and bones of the Sacred Meal.
Blessed Hestia, receive first your due and then for all the Gods, that which is
Theirs!(place
fat and bones in the fire)

And unto the Gods we give these libations, gifts to honor and soothe. Blessed Hestia, receive
first you due and then for all the Gods, that which is Theirs!

To you all that have come, to all that
heard our call we give you these gifts;

White milk, sweet to drink from the animal
sacred Hermes, the cow;

(Pour Milk)

Golden honey, the distillation of the bees
that work on sweet Persephone’s blossoms;

(Pour Honey)

Holy water brought from the source a pure
spring, domain of the Nymphs;

(Pour Water)

This refreshing, unmixed drink from the
ancient vine, its mother Demeter the Goddess of all growing things, the gift to
human kind from Beloved Dionysus;

(Pour Wine)

And the fragrant fruit of the pale green
olive that lives its abundant life among the leaves and light of Helios, the
gift of Athena to her people;

(Pour Olive Oil)

These gifts we give to you in love and in
respect, in friendship and kinship.

Might Ones accept our sacrifice!

Song-

Let our voices arise on the Fire,

Let
our voices resound in the Deep,

May
the spirits accept what we offer,

As
we honor the old ways we keep.

Omen:

Blessed Apollo guide my hand and guide my sight, let me see what it's
true and right: (cast die three times for Omen. First for Ancesters, second for Nature
Spirits, and third for the Gods. Have enough offerings set aside for a second
round if required by Omen.)

Blessing Waters:

Calling (asking) for the Blessings-

Offerings we have made, offerings you have received!Blessed Kindred please release the Waters of
Life! Bring your Blessings unto the people!

Hallowing
the Blessing-

Ancestors bless these waters so that we can share in the warmth of your
knowledge! (To the Well)

Nature Spirits bless these waters so that we
can share in the love of your kinship! (To the Tree)

Gods
bless these waters so that we can share in the light if your wisdom! (To the Fire)

(To the People – intoning
together)

Affirmation of the Blessing-

(To the People) Behold! The Waters of Life, Gift of the
Kindred to the people!

(To the Well) In the name of memory, the preserving
shrine.

(To the Tree) In the name of the earth, our common mother.

(To the Fire) In the light of Truth, the light that has no
beginning and no end.

(To the People) Do the people accept this blessing, this
gift from the Kindred, in the spirit in which it is given? (Wait for response
from all attending)

Sharing of the Blessing-

May we never have thirst or need while in your service! Awen! (Present to the
people gathered to share in the Waters of life)

Ending Ritual:

Thanking the Beings

Being of Occasion

Gods

Nature Spirits

Ancestors

Closing
the Gate(s)

Lady of the Ways, She who is the keeper of the Keys, aid us now in
releasing the Gates.

Spirit of the
Fire, we thank you for being with us this day. Be with us when next we call.
Let

the Gate be closed.

Spirit
of the Tree, we thank you for being with us this day. Be with us when next we
call.Let

the Gate
be closed.

Spirit
of the Well, we thank you for being with us this day. Be with us when next we
call. Let

the Gate be closed.

Mighty Hekate, Let the Gates be closed.

Bright Hekate, we thank you for being with us this day. Carry with you
our offerings and prayers. Be with us when next we call. Accept this final
offering in thanks for your aid. (Make offering to at the three Hallows)

Thanking the Earth Mother

Closing the Prayer/Blessing -

Walk with
wisdom from this hallowed place.

Walk not in
sorrow our roots shall ere embrace.

May strength be
your brother and honor be your friend.

And luck be
your lover, until we meet again.

Return the Blessings and Offerings Given to the Earth Mother- (Bury in soil of
garden)

We return the Water
of Life and our sacrifices so that the land will be better for us having been
here. Hail great giving
Earth! Keep safe always the sacrifice, keep it ever holy!

The Reformed Druids of North America.
"Part Eight, A General History of Reformed Drudism in America, aka The
Gregarious Epistle of Michael or the Adventrues of Prolox the Druid." 12
June 2008. Carleton College Organizations. PDF -
http://druidmedb.com/uploads/3/7/8/2/378298/history.pdf. 1 9 2014.

About Me

I am an ordained Neo-Pagan Druid Priest that follows the path of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF). I am just a Druid gay man making my way through life, trying to find where my path will lead me and learning as much as I can along the way. As a published writer, I work to help educate people on the Druid path, Paganism in general, and magical practices.